Minnesota protects its early lead
The Minnesota Vikings stayed unbeaten with a 23-16 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium, pairing an early scoring advantage with a defense that allowed 243 yards. Minnesota led 10-7 after the first quarter and 17-10 at halftime. Tampa Bay scored the only three points of the third quarter to cut the deficit to four, but the Vikings outscored the Buccaneers 6-3 in the fourth to finish the job. The Vikings improved to 3-0 after opening with wins over Green Bay and Chicago. Tampa Bay dropped to 0-3, with all three losses coming by seven points or fewer.
Addison leads the offense, defense supplies pressure
Jordan Addison caught five of nine targets for 90 yards and a touchdown, giving Minnesota its leading receiving performance. Kyler Murray completed 15 of 29 passes for 168 yards, one touchdown and one interception, adding 17 yards on two carries. Aaron Jones Sr. supplied 92 yards from scrimmage. He rushed 17 times for 58 yards and caught five of six targets for another 34, contributing in both phases of the offense. Minnesota’s defense registered six sacks and two interceptions while holding Tampa Bay to 16 points. Baker Mayfield finished 17-of-34 for 217 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Emeka Egbuka led the Buccaneers with five catches for 62 yards on nine targets. Cade Otton added 56 yards on three receptions, and Ted Hurst III turned his lone catch into a 40-yard touchdown. Bucky Irving managed 46 rushing yards on 15 attempts and added two catches for 12 yards.
Fantasy returns favor Addison and Minnesota’s defense
Addison’s 20.0 PPR points led the offensive players, while Minnesota’s defense delivered 19.0 points. Jones reached 14.2 through his combined rushing and receiving work, giving fantasy managers a useful return without a touchdown. Will Reichard posted 16.0 points, ahead of Tampa Bay kicker Chase McLaughlin’s 12.0. Neither quarterback produced a strong fantasy total: Mayfield finished with 11.3 points and Murray with 10.4. Egbuka scored 11.2, while Irving finished at 7.8.
Week 4 brings home games for both teams
Minnesota hosts the Miami Dolphins on Oct. 4 at 4:05 p.m. ET. Tampa Bay stays home to face the Green Bay Packers that day at 1 p.m. ET.